Friday, June 10, 2011

Another Milestone for the Q-Ball

Today was Quinn's kindergarten graduation. I can't quite believe that my youngest kid is done with the little-kid grades.

I also can't quite believe how out of the closet at my school I have suddenly become per my blogging. Naturally, and probably appropriately, my crying post was the first that some of them read. It has also recently come to my attention that there are other lurking readers of my blog from our school. So, elementary school staff, welcome to Stimeyland! You are now privy to the inane ramblings that come from inside my head. Don't say you haven't been warned. *smiley face emoticon*

Anywho. Quinn. That kid has some personality on him. (That personality can change at the drop of a hat, but that is another story.) All the kindergarteners sang a little song before they got their diplomas. As I usually do at these kinds of events, I inadvertently chose a seat the maximum possible distance from where Quinn ended up standing. But he was still a super cutie-pie.

In real life, the room was less dark and grainy, and there were more people between us who got cropped out. Also, their faces were not spookily distended by my Photoshop blur tool.

When it came time to get his diploma, Quinn walked across the front of the room, waving to the crowd as he went. I kind of imagine that in his head, he is always surrounded by adoring fans, but this time they were clapping for him.

My graduate.

After the graduation ceremony, we adjourned to classrooms so the kiddos could eat cupcakes and generally run amok. Quinn did both with aplomb.

Speaking of "aplomb," do you ever use a word and then think, "Huh. I am actually completely unsure that that word means what I think it means." I was right about aplomb, but I was way off with the word "akimbo," which sounds like it should be a person with arms all a flailing, right? No. It means hands on hips with elbows bent out. I'm actually pretty sad about that, because I much prefer my made-up definition of akimbo to the real one. That said, I am perfectly satisfied with aplomb.

What was I talking about?

Oh, right. So I thought it would be nice to have a photo of Quinn with his teacher, but Quinn kept making silly faces. So I said something to the effect of, "Quinn, smile a real smile." Instead of Quinn changing his face, his teacher immediately contorted his face into the adult version of Quinn's grimace. I think I snapped my photo either a second too early or too late to get the full effect, but nonetheless, this is probably the best student/teacher photo I've ever taken.

Mr. H is evidently one of my elementary school lurkers. Hi, Mr. H!

Everything was going terrifically well, which means that of course a voice came on over the intercom telling parents that if they were taking their kindergarten kids home with them to...do something. I missed the end of the announcement because Quinn immediately began to caterwaul about going home.

I just checked and, yes, "caterwaul" means EXACTLY what I think it means.

Quinn was very angry that I refused to let him come home with me, eventually crawling under the sink in dismay.

Seriously. Who does that?

I think I bribed him back to calmness by promising him video game time or something when he got home. I forgot what, but fortunately, he remembered.

Regardless of the caterwauling, I am intensely proud of Quinn. He has truly blossomed this year in kindergarten. It seems a little hard to believe now, but he was not very social with his peers in preschool. He has proven to be really good at math and really excited to encounter words that he is able to read. Quinn has really taken to being a kindergartener this year and I credit the school and his teacher with much of that.

Me and my four-days-until-he's-a-first-grader kid.

Also, in case you're wondering, he is still sleeping in his box. At night, when we're trying to get him to go to bed, we will say, with much exasperation, "Quinn! Go get in your box!"

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About Stimey

Stimey believes rodents are funny, autism may be different than you think, and that if you have a choice between laughing and crying, you should always try to laugh—although sometimes you may have to do both. Click here for more.